Will of Man
by Graybook
Summary: The Covenant have savaged the UNSC, pushing humanity to the brink. But in mankind's darkest hour one soldier's will may turn the tide.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Halo or Green Lantern in any way shape or form  
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><p>Hurik Dal knew he was about to die.<p>

As a Green Lantern it had always been a possibility. But as he faced down three Sinestro Corp. members with his pale blue blood spilling from his side, Hurik _knew_ his time had come.

"You're looking a little pale, Lantern," the small imp-like Dee'ga cackled as he bobbed in the air. "Do you need to take a nap?"

"Just wait a little longer, and you can sleep for the rest of eternity," Hok slobbered, his long tongue licking his scaly muzzle.

"You've done surprisingly well," Mondel drawled, his brain pulsing under the clear dome of his skull. "But I believe your strength is just about played out."

"I've got enough left," Hurik growled out, the taste of blood heavy in his mouth.

He didn't have much time left.

"Really? Well, let's find out," Mondel said, thin lips stretching into a sadistic smile over pointed teeth as he raised his hand and unleashed a blast from his ring.

Planting his feet, Hurik constructed a shield in a thought and deflected the blast away before reshaping the construct into a hammer and smashing Hok across his slathering chops as the scaly brute lunged at him.

Letting the hammer disappear he prepared to let loose his own blast when Dee'ga rammed him from behind, his stick-like body surrounded by a spinning spiked ball.

Crying out as the yellow spikes tore into his back, Hurik was thrown from his feet and sent tumbling, the dusty earth on which they fought sticking and marring his once pristine uniform.

Tucking his shoulder he rolled into a crouch and, spinning, fired several blast at the fast moving Dee'ga only to be blindsided by Hok. The giant reptile's shoulder planted in his side Hurik was slammed into a nearby boulder, the rock cracking under the impact.

Rearing back Hok wrapped one clawed hand around Hurik's neck so his feet dangled off the ground. Raising his other hand Hok's ring glowed, and his fist became encased in a spiked and bladed gauntlet.

"Time to die, Lantern."

"Maybe later," Hurik gasped past Hok's crushing grip and the blood pooling in his mouth.

With a measure of will and a flick of his wrist a blade appeared from Hurik's ring and sliced through Hok's arm, mid way between wrist and elbow.

Bellowing Hok staggered back, clutching the bloody stump as Hurik pulled the severed hand from his throat. But before he could do more then suck in a breath a yellow beam struck the ground nearby, launching Hurik through the air.

Focusing on his ring he was instantly surrounded by an emerald glow and he stopped his flight. Catching motion out of the corner of his eye he spun and threw-up a shield, stopping Dee'ga and his spinning death ball.

Converting his shield to a clamp and a chain Huirk latched onto Dee'ga. Spinning he let the chain out 'til his minuscule foe circled him like a small moon before hurling the screaming Sinestro Corp. member at Mondel. Seeing his team mate flying at him as he tried to flank the outnumbered Lantern he cursed and blasted Dee'ga. The spiked ball shattered and sent the smaller creature spinning away in a different direction.

Taking the opening Hurik brought up his ring and blasted his distracted enemy, sending him flying back. Lowering his arm slightly his ring glowed bright as he took aim only to have a set of yellow claws rip across his back, throwing him from his feet.

What breath Hurik had, left him with a gasp as he fell to the ground where he lay panting in the dirt. Head feeling light and his vision blurred Hurik knew what little time he'd had was almost up. He had to finish this now, but he felt so _very_ tired.

"Well, I think that's all he has," Mondel drawled as the three Sinestro Corp. members surrounded the fallen Lantern.

Huirk hated to admit it, but he was right. He had almost nothing left. But even still an ember of defiance flickered within him, and he focused everything he had on his ring.

"Any last words ,Hurik Dal?"

"...day..."

"What was that? If you're going to grovel you need to speak up."

"In...night."

"He's been knocked so senseless he can't speak," Hok jeered.

"No...shall escape...sight."

"Lantern can't talk, Lantern can't talk," Dee'ga giggled as he capered about.

"Let those...worship evil's might," Hurik groaned as he started to push himself up.

"Wait. What did he just say?" Mondel asked, a frown creasing his brow.

"Beware my power..."

"No! Stop him!" Mondel shouted, his hand flashing up.

"...Green Lantern's light!" Hurik bellowed, fist held high.

All around him the yellow rings of fear glowed bright as their wielders shouted and screamed. But all too late as he slammed his ring into the ground and all was swallowed in emerald light.

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><p>The ground was nothing more then blackened ash. Smoke-choked the air as molten rocks clinked and pinged as they cooled. In the center of the devastation a pile of ashes shifted and a green ring rose into the air.<p>

"**Ring Status Report. Green Lantern 1170 Deceased. Scanning Sector 1170 For Replacement."**

For several moments the ring hung silently in the air, the light of the setting sun glinting off its surface.

"**Subject Found. Error, Subject Out Of Quantum Sync. Adjusting Quantum Vibrational Frequency,"** the ring intoned and with a brilliant flash of light vanished.

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><p>This is my first attempt at a crossover fic so I hope everyone enjoyed it. I've only started readying comics recently so if I made any major mistakes please let me know. For those of you wondering where the Halo section of this fic is, it will come out in the next and all following chapters.<p>

Until next time please review. Good or bad they are appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Halo or Green Lantern in any way, shape, or form.**

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><p>The thundering of boots echoed throughout the garage of the UNSC<em> Will of Iron <em>as Marines flooded into the cavernous space. All around mechanics did last minute checks of the Pelicans and Warthogs.

Bringing up the rear of his unit Private Adam Jones ignored all of this as he checked over his MA5B Assault Rifle. Feeling for any catches or hang-ups as he worked the action on the unloaded rifle, he slapped a magazine in and checked the ammo counter. Satisfied that everything was working properly he unloaded and slung the rifle on his back before reaching for the M6D on his hip, and almost ran headlong into James 'Rooster' Brogan when the lanky Irish man stopped suddenly.

"You know, you're going to run into a wall same day if you keep doing that," Rooster said over his shoulder as Adam moved around him.

"Yeah, yeah, well when _your_ weapon jams in the middle of combat, don't come running to me."

Whatever retort Rooster might have flung was left unsaid as Sergeant Dougles called everyone to attention. At the back of the garage Captain Mikhail climbed onto a stack of crates, the silver in his dark hair standing out in the garage's bright lights.

"All right, Marines, listen up," the captain said, his deep voice booming throughout the room. "I know a lot of you are wondering what we're doing out here, and I'll tell you. We're here to save lives.

"Forty-eight hours ago the planet Horizon called in a Winter Contingency. Since then we've lost all communication. ONI has been kind enough to lend us one of their Prowlers, which, as we speak, is playing hide and seek with the Covies, hopefully drawing off whatever forces they have in orbit, leaving us clear, at least for a little while.

"Now, we've got two task. One, get ground-side and find out what is going on. Two, if at all possible we are to bolster the planet's garrison and buy time for the civilian population to be evacuated. _If_ that is not possible we're to destroy all sensitive data in the garrison's computers, grab what civvies we can, and pull out," he said, pausing to take a deep breath as he gazed out over the garage. "Now, I don't need to tell you, but we're stretched thin. Command probably couldn't even afford what forces it has sent. That means if anything goes wrong, there will be no cavalry riding to our rescue. We're on our own. So we have to get in, hit them hard, and get out before they can recover. But I know we can do it, because we are the Marines, the best damn fighting force in the galaxy, and no split-lip, muck-eating, worm-faced aliens are going to beat us!"

All throughout the garage spines straightened, shoulders were squared, and the very deck shook at the thunderous 'Oorah' that reverberated from the throat every man and woman there.

"We're one hour out, so report to your Squad Leaders for your assignments. Dismissed."

"All right, Leathernecks, you heard the man. Get your butts over here," Sergeant Dougles shouted as the captain stepped down from his perch. "Now squads of Helljumpers will proceed us down to clear an LZ. You, boys and girls, will be going down on their heels to secure and hold the area while the rest of our people get ground-side. So check your gear, strap on your shells, and get ready to move out."

"Yes, Sergeant," Adam chorused with his fellow Marines before moving to nearby crates filled with armor and munitions.

Fifteen minutes later his squad was ready to go with armor strapped on tight and pouches bulging with magazines and grenades. What time that remained before they reached Horizon they spent loading the Pelicans with all the extra weapons and ammo they could carry. As they were loading the last few crates the garage's speakers crackled and activity came to a swift halt as faces turned upward in a combination of expectation and dread.

"All hands, this is Commander Armande. We are five minutes out from Horizon. ODST, prepare to drop in ten. Second wave, you have forty minutes to finish preparations. So move people. We're only going to get one shot at this."

As soon as the intercom cut out the garage became a frenzy of activity as mechanics did final checks whiles Marines double and triple checked the weapons and all other equipment. The rush didn't even slow, and actually stepped up a notch, when the intercom buzzed to life announcing that the ODSTs were away. At twenty minutes the whole ship shook as the _Will of Iron_ entered the atmosphere. With fifteen minutes to go the Pelicans were moved into position and final loading was completed before the Marines climbed aboard and strapped themselves in. Five minutes and the mechanics finished their checks, made sure everything was secured, then hurried to get the Warthogs prepped as the Pelicans' doors closed.

The next five minutes felt like hours. One Marine's foot tapped with nervous energy, another sat with head bowed lips moving in silent prayer, some had their heads tilted back like they were napping. Adam spent it memorizing what was in each pocket so he wouldn't spend precious time later fumbling around.

Then, finally, the waited come to an end.

With a slight lurch the Pelican rose from the deck, engines spinning up to a whine that reverberated within the cabin. For a moment it hung there, leveling off, before it shot of out the _Will of Iron_.

The Pelican shook and bounced as it left the frigate, the occasional boom of AA fire coming through the armor plating. After a few minutes the ride smoothed out though the sound of anti-aircraft fire increased. A few of his squad mates fingered lucky charms as the Pelican shook from a few particularly close shots.

But all worry about being blown out of the sky was forgotten as a shout came from the cockpit. Sergeant Dougles nodded back before unstrapping and rising to his feet.

"All right, Marines, we are fifteen minutes from touchdown. Now those crazy ODST bastards might have cleared us a space, but we are still going into a hot LZ. So strap on your helmets, load your guns, and get ready to kick some Covie ass."

"Oorah, Sergeant," Karl Mikkel, the squad's heavy weapon specialist, shouted, earning a cheer from the rest of the squad.

"Hey, last one to kill an Elite buys the first round," Rooster called out as he pulled his helmet over his shockingly red hair.

"Then I guess it will be you again," Adam replied with a smirk as he secured his own helmet.

"Hey! I told you my sights were off," the Irish man said indignantly.

"You keep telling yourself that, Rooster," Adam shot back, grin growing a few notches.

"Can the chatter people. We are five minutes out," the sergeant shouted as the sound of AA guns became almost constant. "Jones, Wall, I want covering fire as soon as that door opens."

"Yes, Sergeant," Adam shouted back.

"Got it, Sergeant," Samantha 'Sam' Wall replied as she finished securing her helmet.

Knowing he was as prepared as he was going to be Adam pressed a switch on his helmet and watched as his hud came online. Then he focused on his breathing as his heart tried to hammer its way out of his chest.

Adam had always hated the part just before landing.

"Two minutes," Dougles shouted, accompanied by the whine of hydraulics as the door started lowering itno a ramp.

Wind gusted into the cabin as Adam and Sam unstrapped and stood, latching onto the straps overhead to keep from falling as the Pelican swung around. Looking out the hatch, Adam grimaced at the all too familiar sight of a city lying in ruin. Skyscrapers ended abruptly in jagged stumps. Rumble littered the streets. Smoke drifted thickly into the sky. And the din of combat filtered down every street and assaulted his ears with the thunder of explosions, the bark of automatic fire, and the scream of plasma weapons.

With one last jolt the Pelican touched down and Sam and Adam were off before it had even settled. Dropping to one knee Adam swept his rifle left while Sam mirrored him to his right. Behind them the squad hustled out, weapons up and ready.

They'd landed in a broad plaza adjacent to a park and boxed in by roads and tall buildings. Most of the buildings were missing their glass with a few sporting gaping holes. The park appeared mostly untouched, though a number of trees had been shattered by a drop pod. Around them the other three Pelicans from the _Will of Iron _landed and started unloading. But Adam kept his focus outward, not wanting to be known as the guy who lost his entire company because he wasn't paying attention. Even the crackling of his helmet's radio couldn't break his concentration as Captain Mikhail come on the line.

"Squad One, get the Command Center setup in the park. Squads Two and Three, secure the perimeter. Squad Four, link up with the ODST team and help clear the area. I don't want to see a single bug within a kilometer of the LZ."

"Yes, Sir," Sergeant Dougles said over the general com then switched to the squad frequency. "All right, everyone form up. Brogan, Mikkel, on me. Let's move, Marines," he barked and led the squad out of the plaza at a jog.

Adam should have known this operation was going too smoothly. There hadn't been a shred of opposition in orbit. They'd landed with practically no resistance. And finally they had been able to setup an HQ without a single shot being fired. The whole thing had him and his squad on edge, twitching at every noise and shifting shadow, waiting for the inevitable to come.

So when they went around a corner and came face-to-face with twice their number of Grunts and Jackels, there was almost a sigh of relief before the bullets and plasma started flying.

A quick burst and a Grunt went down with a squeal as Adam sprinted for cover. Sights jumping to a Jackel he gave it the same treatment and earned the attention of several of it's buddies. Putting his head down he sprinted for all he was worth, bolts of green and blue plasma chasing him into the cover of a mostly intact car. Sam had apparently had the same idea as she was already behind the car and quickly laid down covering fire before ducking back down.

Where the rest of the squad was he had only a vague notion, but they could take care of themselves. Right now it was Sam's and his hide he had to worry about. The air fairly sizzled as superheated projectiles flew through the air, chewing into their cover as they quickly reloaded.

Shuffling to one end Adam waited for a lull in enemy fire. When it came he popped out, dropped his sights on a Grunt, and cut it down with a quick burst then fell back as more plasma was directed his way. At the other end of the slowly melting car Sam copied his actions while he snatched a grenade from his belt. Pulling the pin he leaned out and chucked it into a group of Grunts.

"Grenade!" One Grunt squeaked but all too late.

A sharp thud and Grunts flew every which way. Those not killed outright were left stunned, easy pickings for Sam and Adam.

With a press of his thumb, Adam ejected the empty magazine then slid in a fresh one as he stepped out of cover, eyes sweeping the blood spattered street and crumpled bodies. But one thing the street was missing was the rest of his squad. The fighting must have separated them more then he'd thought though from the nearby sounds of gunfire not by very far.

"Sarge, this is Jones. What's your location?" Adam said into his radio but received only static. "Damn, can't get through. What about you, Sam?"

"Same. Something must be interfering."

"Guess we're doing this the hard way then. Do you want to pick a direction at random or flip a coin?"

"How about you use your ears. The gun fire is coming from that way," she said pointing with her rifle.

"Well, yours seem to be better than mine, so lead the way."

With Sam in front and Adam covering their rear they rushed down a side street. Feeling decidedly exposed with the lack of support they kept their guns up and eyes moving nonstop they tried to watch every window and doorway at once. But with his eyes constantly up Adam wasn't paying as much attention to his feet.

His boot came down on a pile of shattered concrete, the rubble shifted, and his foot plunged on into a hidden hole. And saved him from a particle beam traveling through his skull as he pitched forward.

"On the right! Fifth floor. Left corner window!" Sam yelled as she sprinted for the other side of the street. Rifle barking she sprayed the windows with lead, making an obvious target of herself.

With a hard pull Adam freed his foot from the hole and staggered for cover. Limping slightly he practically fell behind a crumbling wall, half expecting to receive a shot in the back. Collapsing back against the cool concrete he winced at a twinge from his ankle but shrugged it off. He might be safe, but Sam was still in the line of fire.

"Sam, where's the sniper?" Adam asked into his com, hoping that it would work over the short distance.

"Still on the fifth floor, but he's moved four windows over," came the static filled reply.

Raising his rifle to his shoulder he rolled out of cover, dropped his sights on the designated window, and held down the trigger.

All around the window concrete exploded into dust as 7.62mm rounds hammered the area. He might not hit the sniper but with that much lead flying Adam was sure it would make him think twice about sticking his head out.

When the ammo counter finally hit zero he hastily ducked back into cover before he became a target again. Reloading as fast as he could he tried to reach Sam again but got only static.

The war had hammered humanity hard, but Adam had never felt the pressure so acutely as now. With no idea where the enemy or his squad was, he was effectively on his own. All he had to rely on was his training, and for the first time he wondered if it was enough to see him through. He was used to having support from Command and his comrades. That was how he'd been taught, how he'd fought and survived. Now he had none of that. He was behind enemy lines, cutoff from Command, and unsure if his squad was even still alive.

The enormity of what he was facing crashed down on him. A numbness began to creep into his thoughts, his limbs trembling and a tightness entering his chest, every breath coming with a gasp. Then the wave of mounting panic hit the iron in his soul.

Many things in Adam' life had tried to crush him, from simple school bullies to the death of his father, the rigours of boot camp, and the war with the Covenant. But he was still here. Nothing else had broken him, and this wouldn't either.

Now, if he was going to survive he needed to think. The sniper was covering the street so that way was out. His cover was little more then the last crumbling wall of whatever building had once stood there, and with all the other surrounding buildings mostly intact he was effectively trapped in a box.

Or . . . maybe not.

It wasn't easy to see amongst all the deep overlapping shadows, but where a fragment of wall met the next building was a crevasse Adam thought he could just fit through. Keeping close to what walls were still standing he scrambled over the debris. Up close he could see that the wall wasn't more then a couple of feet thick, but it was going to be a tight squeeze.

Removing his helmet he slid it and his MA5B through first then took several deep breaths and slipped his arm and shoulder in.

Oh yeah, this was going to be really tight. Taking one last deep breath, he blew it out then crammed himself into the crevasse.

Adam squirmed and wriggled, pushing with his feet and pulling with the hand already inside. The rough concrete edges caught and dragged at his fatigues and armor, and he was sure he lost a layer of skin as his cheek scraped against the jagged sides. His eyes watered from dislodged dust and grit and the sides squeezed his chest so that he could barely breath.

Digging his toes in he pushed with all his strength, unmindful as his clothes and skin tore. It was slow but he worked his shoulder through followed by his head and the rest of his body.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," he gasped, as he collapsed to the floor.

Remaining where he lay he grabbed his helmet with one bloodied hand and put it back on his vulnerable head, wincing as the cheek-guards rubbed against his raw torn flesh. Feeling not quite so exposed Adam grabbed his MA5B and pushed himself back onto his feet.

The inside of the building was very dark and not for the first time he wished that their helmets came with night vision. Flicking on the flashlight mounted under the MA5B's barrel he swept it over the room.

From the broken shelves and scattered boxes he guessed he was in some kind of store room. There was an open door in the corner that he approached with caution. Putting his back against the wall next to the doorway he peered out into an equally dark hallway with another door at the edge of of his beam of light. After a quick glance the other way, showing nothing but a closed door, he began moving down the hall towards the back.

Being careful and moving slowly he worked his way down the hall, checking every room as he passed, going through a lavatory, a small kitchenette, and more store rooms. All dark and all empty. Or almost all.

As he reached to open the last the sound of something shifting on the other side made him pause. Adrenaline hit his system, and his heart started hammering as he shifted to one side. Grasping the handle he turned it slowly, took a deep breath, then flung the door open.

Instead of the plasma barrage that he was expecting he was greeted with shouts and screams. Frowning he swung his rifle around the edge and the light revealed a score of huddled men, women, and children.

"Please, don't shoot! We're not armed," a man at the front said, hands over his head.

"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm one of the good guys," Adam said stepping into the room and closing the door.

"You're human. Are you from the garrison?" the same man asked.

"No. I'm part of the reinforcements sent to help with evacuation."

Immediately the room was filled with cries of relief and not a few faces became streaked with tears. These people had been through so much already he hated that he had to snatch away their hope as quickly as he had given it. But he couldn't let them walk out of that room blindly, though that didn't mean he had to tell them the whole truth.

"All right, people, calm down. Our forces are spread thin so I'm the only one here, and unfortunately I'm a little lost, so I'll need your help."

"What can we do?" a man at the back asked.

"You know the area. My company set down in a plaza bordered by a park no more then a mile from here."

"I know the place," a woman in a suit said.

"Good. When we get outside I'll need you to point the way. Now, everyone listen carefully. When we leave this building I want you to stay close and no matter what, keep moving. If someone has trouble keeping up, help them; we're not leaving anyone behind. Does everyone understand?" Several nods answered him and he turned towards the door.

Opening the door again the barrel of his AR led the way as he stepped into the hall, flashlight sweeping up and down its length. It was still clear and he quickly motioned for the civilians to follow. Their footsteps echoed off the walls as they hurried along, the smaller children carried in their parents arms while a pair of seniors were assisted by teens.

Whatever the building had been the back hallways were like a maze, and Adam would have gotten turned around more then once if not for the woman in the suit. At the backdoor he had them pause again then slipped out alone first.

The alley he found himself in was narrow with trash and broken pieces of steel, glass, and concrete littering the ground. Though at first glance it appeared deserted he still spent a good ten minutes looking in every nook and cranny for even a hint of Covenant. Only when he was sure the alley was clear did he return and lead the civilians out.

"Okay, which way?"

"Uh, that way," the woman in the suit said pointing to the right.

"Thanks. Now let's move, and remember stay close."

Keeping to the alleys he set a brisk pace, even though it would be hard on the older ones, but the sooner he got them back to HQ the safer they'd be. Whenever they came to a street he hurried them across as quickly as he could, his eyes trying to look everywhere at once.

Yet even so he was just one man, able to do only so much, and in the end not nearly enough. When the shit finally hit the fan he barely had a seconds warning before a blast of green plasma zipped past his head.

"Down!" he barked and the civilians hit the ground, screaming as more plasma flew overhead.

Swiveling right, his finger was already squeezing the trigger as the sights dropped onto a squealing Grunt. Fire leapt from the barrel and the rifle kicked against his shoulder. Blood sprayed and the Grunt went down only to be replaced by two more and a Jackal, their plasma pistols up and spitting death as they came into view. Holding the trigger down in a quick burst he swept it over them and the pair of Grunts went down, but the bullets merely sparked off the Jackal's shield.

Not good. He could wear down a Jackal's shield given enough time and bullets. But his ammo was limited and he didn't even have a second as more Grunts and Jackals came into view.

"Shit! Everybody move! Head for the next alley," Adam yelled as he kept up a constant stream of fire, one eye watching the ammo counter as it dropped at what he thought was an alarming rate.

Doing as they were told the civilians scrambled to their feet and sprinted, in a crouch, for the alley across the street, many weeping, swearing, and muttering prayers as their sole protector and the invaders exchanged fire.

Within a few seconds of the start of the fire-fight many of the Grunts were dead or at least out of action while the Jackals had contracted into a tight knot, shields practically over-lapping while plasma pistols and rifles spat at him. Crouching to make himself as small as possible Adam moved after the civvies, more and more of his attention focusing on his ammo counter as it dropped to a very worrying level. At least until one Jackal moved forward, the familiar shape of a Needler clutched in it's hand.

Turning he broke into a sprint even as the distinct _pht-t-t-t-t-t-t-t_ of the Needler firing reached him. Diving for cover he rolled behind the overturned bulk of a car and a second later heard the _pings_ as the Needler's crystal-like shards impacted the metal then detonated with sharp cracks.

Against the Jackals' shields his AR was next to useless so it was time to crank things up. Taking a grenade from his belt he pulled the pin then tossed the explosive at the clustered Jackals. A few saw it coming and tried to scramble away, but they were standing too close together and only got in each others way as it bounced once, twice, and three times before it rolled right under the edge of a shield. A moment later there was a bone-jarring thud, and the Jackals were torn to shreds by shrapnel.

Sweat slicking his face he could feel his heart hammering in his ears. Adam did his best to get his breathing under control. Tossing the Grenades pin away he raised his rifle and checked the counter, grimacing at the number. Ejecting the clip he caught it and slipped it into a pouch then reloaded.

Marine basics since the Covenant showed up, don't waste a round. Never knew when a few extra bullets would come in handy.

Peeking over the car he saw that those not killed by the explosion were still disoriented by it, and he took the opportunity to sprint for the alley. He didn't get more than four steps before more Grunts came around a corner down the street, followed closely a Brute.

This really wasn't his day.

"Shit! Shit, shit, shit!" he growled.

From his belt he snatched one of his last two grenades and chucked it at them. Not even waiting to see what happened, he turned and ran for all he was worth. Away from the alley.

He might be able to take a squad of Grunts, but he had no delusions about his chances against a Brute. And where there was one Brute there was bound to be more, and it would be a cold day in hell before he led them towards defenseless civilians.

Legs pumping and lunges laboring for breath he ran as fast as he could, weaving between shattered vehicles and piles of rubble, trying to make himself as hard a target as possible. Behind him he could hear the babbling of Grunts mixed with the chattering of Jackals and the roar of Brutes, and judging by all the noise it seemed like he had half the city of his tail.

Ducking around a corner he put his back to the wall and gulped air, legs feeling like jelly and a stitch lancing into his side. At that moment he wanted nothing more then to sit down and have a good long rest. However, that wasn't really an option. Taking one last deep breath he leaned out and popped off a few shots at his pursuers before he set off again.

But each step came harder than the last. He was reaching the limits of his endurance and wouldn't be able to run much longer. He needed a place to rest or at least make a last stand. It wasn't a comforting thought. Still he needed to face facts; he had run as far as he could. Now it was time to fight.

Stumbling to a halt he panted for breath as he searched for a defensible position, some high ground, a way to funnel them into controllable numbers, or ... something. However, all he saw was shattered buildings and more rubble.

Okay so, eeny meeny miny ... oh, the hell with it! That store over there would do.

Jogging across the street he entered the abandoned store and took quick stock of what he had to work with. At first glance it looked like a grocery though it had already been stripped bare, leaving rows of metal shelving beyond the checkout counter at the front. Moving to the back he pushed through a door marked 'Employees Only' and entered a large empty storeroom with a small office shoved into a corner.

Not the best location, but he wasn't likely to find anything better in time.

With time ticking away he rushed back into the store. Stepping up to the last shelf he set his shoulder against it and pushed. The shelf wobbled but stayed up, and through the open door he started to hear his pursuers. Pushing harder the shelf rocked as the muscles in his back and legs began to burn. Out in the street the alien shouts and cries grew louder. Setting his boots against the tile floor Adam lowered his shoulder and heaved. Tipping, it balanced on one edge for a moment then fell, slamming into the next shelf. With a horrendous shriek of twisting metal the shelves crashed to the floor, giving him a clear field of fire and providing enough clutter to keep him from being rushed.

And just in time. A Jackal burst through the door with more pouring in behind. Snapping up his rifle Adam let rip with a quick burst and entered into ten minutes of pure chaos. Bullets and plasma tore through the air, screams bounced off the walls, whole sections of shelves and wall were reduced to slag by plasma grenades, and blood flew.

But still the Covenant came, clambering over the bodies of their comrades and screaming for his blood. Step-by-step he was pushed back until he was shooting out of the storeroom, only a thin wall standing between him and death.

The fight stretched on and his MA5B finally ran dry. Discarding the useless rifle he drew the M6D from his hip and continued firing, his focus narrowing down to nothing beyond the next target, the next shot, the next kill.

Until the slide locked back, and when he reached for a new clip he found his belt empty. With no other choice he grabbed his last grenade and let fly. The Grunts and Jackals screamed and tried to run, but in their own mad scramble they became stuck in the door and doomed themselves.

Ducking back behind his much-battered cover as the grenade exploded, Adam dropped the pistol and pulled his knife. He'd given it his best shot but this was it, though he would make the Covenant pay for it.

Out in the store he could hear the bugs start to creep back in, and he gripped his knife tighter. Mouth dry he could feel his heart pounding away in his chest and each breath rasped in his ears.

"Come on, you bastards, come and get me," he growled, practically ready to jump out of his skin.

And nearly did when the storeroom was suddenly lit by a brilliant green glow.

Hand raised against the blinding light, he spun around, knife ready to strike, and wondered what was happing now.

As quick as it appeared, the light faded, leaving him blinking against the afterimage as he stared at the strangest sight he'd seen all day.

Floating unaided in the air before him was an emerald ring bearing a strange device, a circle bracketed by two lines.

"**Adam Jones of Earth. You have the ability to overcome great fear. Welcome to the Green Lantern Corps," **the ring intoned, and he nearly dropped his knife.

"What the hell?"

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><p><strong>Well here's chapter 2 I hope everyone enjoyed it, and sorry for how long it took to get out. Writers Block and life in general got in the way.<br>**

**To those who wrote reviews thank you, and to all those read this I'll try to get the next part up quicker but no promises. I have my own original story to work on and that has to take priority.  
><strong>

**As always please review, they mean a lot.  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Halo or Green Lantern in any way, shape, or form.**

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><p>Private Adam Jones was having a seriously bad day.<p>

So far he'd misplaced his squad, been chased half across the city by Covenant forces, and now a ring was talking to him. He had so many question bouncing around inside his skull that he felt almost dizzy.

How did it know who he was? How did it get here? What was the Green Lantern Corp? And how the hell was it floating?

However, his questions would have to wait as a crash from the front of the store brought him back to the present. Whatever the ring was he'd figure it out later. If he survived. But if it was something dangerous he didn't want to leave it lying ... um, floating ... around where the Covenant could find it.

Listening as the Covenant forced its way through the wreckage of the front room he grabbed for the ring and didn't even have time to blink as it slipped itself onto his middle finger. The ring immediately flared with light, and his battle-worn armor and fatigues vanished, replaced by a green and black unitard with elbow length white gloves and knee-high green boots. And sitting dead center on his chest was a white circle bearing the same symbol as the ring.

"What in the..." he mumbled, running his hands over the strange garment.

The whole thing was a single, seamless, piece that clung to his body like a second skin. And though he could certainly feel it, whatever it was made of was lighter than air. His musings, though, were interrupted by a Jackal rushing through the storeroom door, plasma pistol up and humming with energy.

Adam had always known that he would most likely die in this war. But now that the moment had finally come he found that he didn't particularly want to watch it. Closing his eyes tight he raised his arms in a futile attempt to protect himself as the Jackal pulled the trigger.

The buzz of the pistol firing reverberated about the room. He staggered back as the ball of condensed plasma hit him. He could feel the heat as it splashed over him.

But it didn't burn. The searing agony he'd been expecting as the plasma chewed its way into his body was missing. Actually, now that he thought about it, the heat was really only comfortably warm. Opening his eyes he looked down to find his body outlined with green light.

Well ... that was new.

And if Adam thought that he was surprised, the Jackal was positively dumbstruck as it stood with its beak hanging open, arms hanging loosely at its sides. Unfortunately that didn't last long. It soon closed its maw with a snap and brought its pistol back up, and things only got worse as more Covenant began pouring into the room.

"Oh, hell," Adam muttered and dove out of the way.

Tucking a shoulder as he hit the floor he rolled to his feet and took off running, burning plasma raining down around him. The occasional shot landed but just seemed to glance off the glow around him and, while it was great to finally have personal shields, just defending never won a fight. But fighting back wasn't an option. All his guns were out of ammo, and he'd dropped his knife somewhere in the confusion.

Diving through the door of the office that took up one corner of the storeroom he pressed himself against the floor as bolts of plasma punched through the thin walls. He needed a weapon, but raising his head enough to look about the small room he saw that it was as empty as the rest of the store. Dropping his head back down he really wished that he still had his MA5B. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the ring on his hand start to glow. But as soon as he turned to focus on it the glow faded.

What was this thing? Adam wondered, turning his hand so he could better see the ring. Why had it started glowing, and why had it stopped? Its actions seemed arbitrary, but there had to be a reason. But what were they? Everything the ring had done since it had appeared seemed to be of its own choosing, though admittedly it had been very timely...

Wait. Could that be it?

When he wanted a shield he'd gotten it. When he had started wishing for his AR the ring began to glow. Could the ring be ... reacting to him? Wincing as a plasma bolt flew a little too close to his skull he decided now was as good a time as any to try.

Focusing on the ring he thought of his MA5B, of its weight, the feel of it in his hands, the gleam of its casing. The ring began to glow once more, and he grinned. He focused harder on the thought of his rifle, imaging its every detail until he could practically feel it in his hand. Then in an instant the ring glowed and a MA5B made of green light formed in his hand.

"Now we're talking!"

Rolling onto his back he took aim in the Covenant's general direction and pulled the trigger. Thunder filled the small room and a tongue of flame leapt from the barrel but, strangely, there was no recoil as the light weapon punched holes in the wall.

Sweeping the gun left and right he raked the wall with bullets and took some satisfaction at the alien screams from the other side. The barrage of plasma began to slacken, and he twisted up onto his knees then rose to his feet. He idly noted that though what he held looked like an MA5B he had been holding the trigger down for at least a minute but hadn't run out of ammo.

The rain of plasma had slowed, though the occasional shot still punched through the wall, but he ignored them, letting them burst harmlessly against his barrier. Approaching the door he let up on the trigger and peered out. All around the door into the storeroom Covenant corpses littered the floor, the rest having apparently retreated back into the front of the store.

Well, he got them to retreat, and as Sergeant Dougles would say _"Once you've got the enemy on the run don't give them a reason to stop"_. But ... he was going to be in some tight quarters, not the best situation for an MA5B. Though they were perfect for...

Closing his eyes he concentrated, thought about what he wanted, imaged it in every detail, and opened his eyes to find his AR changed into a M90 shotgun. Grinning as he racked the slide Adam moved through the door. Even with his new shields he approached the door into the store cautiously, and was really glad he did when enemy fire greeted him as soon as he poked his head out.

Jerking his head back he dropped to one knee, spun around the doorjamb, and unloaded the shotgun into a group of Grunts and Jackals, the thunderous boom bouncing off the walls.

Working the slide he fired again and again, throwing up a curtain of hot lead, or whatever this gun fired. The Grunts squealed and ran while the Jackals hunkered down behind their shields, a costly mistake as the light-constructed shotgun tore right through the glowing disks. A few more shots and the Jackals, too, broke and ran.

Not letting up for a second he gave chase, M90 blazing as he jogged after the fleeing aliens. Bursting out into the street he unloaded another shell into a Jackal, racked the slide, and dropped the sights onto a nearby Grunt. But before he could pull the trigger he was spun around by what felt like a sledgehammer to the shoulder. Shotgun vanishing from his hands, Adam hit the ground hard. Instincts taking over he rolled into cover while his brain was still trying to workout what had happened.

Dropping into a crater he coughed a few times as he tentatively rolled his shoulder to see if anything was broken. Though certainly sore he was still in one piece and with a bit of concentration brought back the imitation MA5B. Gripping the green gun tight, he shimmied his way up the side of the crater and peeked over the edge. And nearly got his head blown off as a energy beam gouged into the pavement inches from his face.

Ducking down Adam threw an arm over his head and figured he'd found what had hit him as the orange beam raked the ground around the crater. Leaving him right back where he started. Trapped and waiting to get swarmed.

. . .

Hell to that! He wasn't going to wait for a bunch of bugs to come kill him.

It was time to see what this ring could really do. Focusing, the green glow surrounding him thickened, the weapon in his hands changed, and with a steadying breath he rose from the crater.

Almost at once energy beams started hammering at his shield, the angry hiss as the two energies met filling his ears. But he gritted his teeth and weathered the hail of enemy fire. Digging his toes into the loose and cracked pavement, Adam climbed out of the crater and shouldered a M19 Rocket Launcher.

Down the street a pair of Jackals fired from behind the cover of a burnt-out car which quickly turned into a new fireball when the first emerald rocket hit. Shifting left he fired a second into a squad of Grunts before swinging the launcher up and firing into a window where a Jackal perched. At a cross street some Grunts tried to return fire from around the corner of a building until a fourth rocket turned the corner into a mound of rubble.

Up and down the street he blew the Covenant forces to kingdom come even as scalding plasma battered uselessly against his shields. Walls crumbled, abandoned cars were turned to confetti, and holes were blasted into the pavement as he fired an endless stream of rockets until the Covenant gave up all pretense of fighting back and ran.

Firing one last rocket at the fleeing aliens Adam lowered the launcher and let it fade away as he blew out a sigh. He didn't care if he had shields, that was the last time he'd walk into enemy fire. Must have been out of his mind to even think of it. But they were retreating, giving him a moment to gather himself and plan his next move before they...

His thoughts were scattered as the air was rent by a thunderous bellow just before all thousand plus pounds of angry Brute plowed into him. The breath blasted from his lunges, Adam was lifted off his feet and slammed to the pavement with the Brute coming down on top of him.

Spittle flying from his maw as the Brute snarled and roared, the massive creature brought his bowling ball sized fists down with enough force to crack the pavement. Under the alien simian Adam wriggled and squirmed to keep his head from being caved in as the large fists hammered down again and again. Wrapping his arms around his head Adam focused on the ring and willed it to make his shield stronger as a fist landed disturbingly close to his vulnerable skull.

"You know, you are really starting to get on my nerves," Adam muttered as he rolled to one side. "So, why don't you get ... Off!" he shouted and hit the Brute with a right.

With a surge of power the ring flashed and a fist the size of a Buick flew out and slammed against the Brute's ugly mug, sending the savage alien flying across the street and through a storefront's window.

Some very strange things had happened to Adam that day and he had thought that nothing could surprise him anymore. But again, his questions would have to wait as the Brute started to pick himself back up.

He'd have to fix that.

Staying where he lay Adam constructed a M319 Grenade Launcher and put a shell through the shattered window. With a resounding boom the remaining glass was blown out and his Brute problem disappeared.

"Good riddance," he muttered, letting the grenade launcher fade away.

Pushing himself back onto his feet he looked up and down the street and was somewhat stunned at all the destruction he had caused. Even on his squad's best day they would have needed a truck load of heavy weapons and ammo to do all this, and he had done it with one tiny ring.

"What are you?" Adam murmured, staring at the glowing band on his finger.

"**This unit is the power ring for the Green Lantern of sector 1170,"** the ring stated much to his shock.

"Uh, okay. What's a Green Lantern?"

"**The Green Lanterns are an organization of intergalactic peace keepers formed by the Guardians of the Universe thousands of years ago."**

"Wait, if there's some kind of galactic police force out there why haven't they put a stop to this war?"

"**Green Lantern Corps does not exist in this reality."**

"What do you mean 'this reality'?"

Ten minutes later he wished he'd kept his big mouth shut.

"Okay, okay, I get it. There are no Green Lanterns here. Ugh. My head hurts. So what exactly do you do?"

A half hour later he had an even bigger headache.

"Stop, stop, stop! Let me see if I've got this straight. Whatever I can imagine you can create through this 'green light of will'?"

"**Correct."**

...

"Wow."

The amount of power he literally had at his finger tips was staggering. It put every ship, heck, every fleet on either side to shame. With it he could end the war, drive back the Covenant, save humanity.

If only he had the will to wield it.

"Guess it's time to find out," he murmured softly and the ring glowed bright.

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><p><strong>Finally! I thought I'd never finish this chapter. I'd originally planned for this chapter to be long but this just felt like a good place to stop. I'll try to get the next one out as quick as I can, but one promises.<strong>

**Now, I should have said this earlier but I don't have a lot of first hand knowledge of Halo or Green Lantern. I've played some of the games and have only recently got into comics so much of my information comes from online sources (Got to love wikis), so if I make any big mistakes please tell me.**

**Thanks for reading all that and I hope you enjoyed. So please review and have a nice day (or night if that fits better).**


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